Profiles

Here, you can find any of the interviews on this site.



Zubair

Zubair had Covid in March 2020. He had mild symptoms of fever, loss of smell, and a temperature. Since then his health has deteriorated. He has muscle pain at night, some hearing loss, and a change in his eyesight. The…

  • Background

    Zubair is married with one son. He works in local government and volunteers as a Covid Health Champion for his local Public Health team and at his community foodbank. Ethnic...

  • Age at interview 47
  • Diane

    Diane, her husband, and their youngest daughter had Covid during the Delta variant in early December 2021. At the time, their two older children did not have any symptoms and had a negative PCR test. Diane and her husband had…

  • Background

    Diane works in higher education and has three school-aged children. Diane, her husband, and their youngest daughter had the Delta variant of Covid. Ethnicity: Indian.

  • Age at interview 47
  • Christian

    Christian described his symptoms as “incredibly mild” when he caught Covid in March 2020. As time went by he became less and less “capable and able” and by the summer he had breathlessness and fatigue. An antibody test in June…

  • Background

    Christian is married with a 16-month year old daughter. He was working as a primary school teacher in March 2020 when he caught Covid.

  • Age at interview 28
  • Paul

    Paul caught Covid at the end of March 2020 and two years on is still suffering ongoing symptoms, with limited mobility, muscle fasciculation, extreme fatigue, brain fog and post-exertional malaise (PEM) (the worsening of symptoms following even minor physical or…

  • Background

    Paul is a senior manager at a university and lives with his wife and 10-year-old daughter. Ethnic background: White British.

  • Age at interview 46
  • Michelle

    In March 2020 Michelle and her family caught Covid on a cruise ship off Australia where 30 people died after catching Covid. Michelle and her son were both very ill with Covid once they returned to the UK; however, her…

  • Background

    Michelle and her wife (Lindsey) were both teachers who have a young son who was two at the start of the pandemic (now 4). Michelle has three older boys from...

  • Age at interview 50
  • Richard

    Richard and his family caught Covid in March 2020. He and his son have suffered from multiple and very debilitating symptoms in remitting and relapsing waves for almost two years, including chest pain, insomnia, brain fog, and fatigue. Even though…

  • Background

    Richard is a Locum GP, married with two children a son (13 years) and a daughter (11 years). Ethnicity: White British.

  • Age at interview 49
  • Claire

    Claire and her sons caught Covid in March 2020. Her oldest son had alarmingly purple/blackening toes for many months but thankfully felt fine, while Claire was badly affected after five days, and both the twins were unwell. Claire and her…

  • Background

    Claire works part time in consultancy. Claire lives with her three sons – twins aged 12 years and a 17-year-old.

  • Age at interview 49
  • Kate

    In October 2020, Kate started to feel a bit unwell. Her symptoms deteriorated and she describes continuing to remain unwell for months. Kate says it was “a tough time to be ill” and that she was “just not able to…

  • Background

    Kate is 48 and lives with her partner and 2 children. Ethnicity: White.

  • Age at interview 48
  • Maria

    Maria developed Covid symptoms in late December and got a positive Covid test on her daughter’s third birthday party. Maria’s Long Covid symptoms have lasted longer than she thought, and she felt that her husband had to do a lot…

  • Background

    Maria is a 41-year-old woman living with her husband, 7-year-old son, and 3-year-old daughter, and works in local economic regeneration. Ethnicity: White British.

  • Age at interview 41
  • Heather

    Heather caught Covid early in the pandemic, and had a very slow recovery with ongoing symptoms. She felt that health professionals were dismissive of her symptoms. Heather was interviewed in December 2021.

  • Background

    Heather is a part-time teacher and farmer’s wife and they live with their six children on the farm in rural Northern Ireland. Ethnic background: Northern Irish.

  • Age at interview 48